Serving and utility tray



y 20, 1952 J. R. EBERHARDT 2,597,460

SERVING AND UTILITY TRAY Filed Dec. 1, 1947 2' SHEETS-SHEET 2 ezzaflemanzz Patented May 20, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT -OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved servingtray and more particularly to an improvement over my Patent 1,962,556, issued June 12, 1934.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved serving and utility tray of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter having a plurality of resilient rings within which glasses or the like may be engaged to be supported on the tray in such a manner that the glasses will be held secure against sliding on the tray while being readily removed from or inserted into the rings as desired.

A further object of this invention is to provide a serving tray of this kind having an insert tray or fiat tray removably engaged in a base tray, the insert tray having supporting rings mounted thereon so the assembly of the base and insert trays may be used for serving glasses and the insert tray may be removed for use of the base tray alone in use as a tray for larger articles as sandwiches and the like.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a serving tray of this kind which is at the same time useful in function and attractive in appearance especially when made of glass or plastic. The decorative effect may be enhanced by using decalcomanias, photographs, etching, stencilling, etc. on the under surface of the base tray.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a tray of this kind the construction of which is readily adaptable for various types of materials and may be readily manufactured and 'assem bled.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a tray of this kind so constructed and arranged that it may be utilized for a large number of various purposes with small or slight changes in the basic structure thereof.

To the foregoing objects, and others which may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a serving tray constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section;

Figure 3 is a transverse section;

Figure 5 is a. fragmentary detailed section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 5-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of serving tray;

Figure 8 is a top plan view of a split ring used on these trays.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I0 designates generally an improved serving or utility tray having means for securing glasses or the like thereon against sliding movement. The utility tray 20 shown in Figure 1 of the drawings is formed of an enlarged fiat base 2| having a substantially peripheral rounded bead or molding 22 fixed to or formed thereon. The bead 22 extends transversely across the base of 2| spaced inwardly from the ends thereof. The side members 24 which form the bead along the long edges of the base 2| are disposed immediately adjacent the long edges of the :base 2| between the end beads 22. The base 2| may be formed of plastic, glass, metal, wood or other suitable material and the beads 22 and 24 may be formed of the same material either fixed to the base 21 or formed integrally therewith.

Handles as 25 are secured on the ends of the tray 20 and are formed of a substantially angular shaped arm 26 having a lower horizontal arm 21 which is adapted to overlie the base 2| at the ends thereof outwardly of the beads 22. The arms 21 are formed with a suitable contour at their inner ends as indicated by the number 28 to fiushly engage about the outer edge of the beads 22.

be made in one piece by heating the material and twisting the same into the desired form and contour. The arm 21 extends outwardly from the beads 22 to the edge of the base tray 2| where the handle 25 is bent upwardly by the upwardly inclined arm 29.

Transverse handle member 30 is fixed to or secured between the extreme upper ends of the arms 29 to form a grip for supporting the tray 20. In order to support the tray 20 above a fiat surface as a table top or the like, suitable supporting legs 3| are fixed to or formed on the corners of the base 2! and depend therefrom. The base tray 2| as described so far may be used for a large number of serving purposes and when it is desired to use the tray 20 for transporting glasses or other objects which are relatively free to slide on the surface of the tray, I have pro- Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailed section vided an insert tray 32 for disposition within the taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

beads 22 and 24.

When the handle is made of a substance other than wood, such as plastic, it may may be cutaway zon diametrically opposite ends; to providetriangular'openings "as'35, to provide an edge whereby the insert tray 32 may be removed from the base tray 2|.

provided a plurality of expansible annular split rings 36 which are secured to the insert tray 32.

The glass or object securing rings 36" are sub stantially cylindrical or tubular 'in shape having an annular body 31 of a suitable height to ex tend above the insert tray 32 for suitably securin'gf the bottom 'of a I glass: or r the "like against undesired movement;

The split ring 35 :isformed-of splastic', metal or other suitable resilient material 'h'avingran-axial split as-i38on one edgethereof. The=split-38 permits the sides of the body 37 to'be'resiliently" separated :fonengaging' about the bottom 'of" a glass or the like. The ring 36 maybefixe'dnto the tray=r32 as at 31' by cement (see Fig".-"4) or othersuitable fastening means, at a point spaced" from the split '38."

ln Figure 'l there is shown a modified form: of thistlinventi'on in which thebasetray generally indicatedl'at 20a; includes a flat surface 2la directi-y: provided with the 'splitrings 36d and the in's'ert tray-is therefore unnecessary. The split i'ingssiwaresecured on the-base tray 2nd in the same 'manneras described above for theattachment of the split rings to theinsert tray.

The 'bead 'or molding 22a and'24a in this m'odified forr'n is agrooved'piece of plastic or other material. By heating themolding it maybe shaped aroundtheedge :of the base tray Zia by insei tingthe edge of the tray-into thegroove andthe mitered ends of the bead are'joinedtogether or cemented. The molding-willt-henen close the tray'as a framein this form for fur-'- th'er economy.

Having-thus described my-invention what l claimisr 1. An-improved serving traycompr-isin'g a flat base;-a ra is'ed continuous beadhaving an arcuateouter surface extending around sa'id ba'se' on the outer edge thereof and-extendingabove and below' said flat base; tray supporting handles se:

cured to the upper side of said -'fiat base inwardly For securing" glasses and the like on the insert tray 32, 'I-have'* of said head and extending upwardly above and outwardly beyond said bead, and a plurality of split sleeve article-clasping members having the free edges thereof urged toward each other and each having a portion thereof spaced from the split secured to the upper side of said flat base.

2. An improved serving tray comprising a flat base, a raised continuous bead havingran arcuate outer surface extending around said .base 'on the outeredgeth'ereoi and extending above and below said flat base, tray supporting handles secured to the upper side of said flat base inwardly of said-'bead'and extending upwardly above and outwardly beyond said bead, and a plurality of splitsleeve 'article-clasping members having the free edges thereof urged toward each other and each having a portion thereof spaced from the split secured to the upper side of said flat base, said article-clasping members being positioned in opposedspaced arcuate rowsiandeachrhaving its split portion iacingiinwardly ofwthe itray;

JOSEPH R'. EBERI-LARDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following" references are of rec'ord 'inthe l file of this patent UNITED STATES" PATENTS Number Name Date';

D. 57,968 Goodale May-2411921 539,264- Hall May,-14,a1895 715,137 Peete- Dec. 2;1902: 774,479 Lange- -2 Nov.- 8, ,1904 889,290- Bricker -22 Sept..22,1908 901,440 Hebestreit Oct-:20, 1908 1,597,566 Bailey :Aug; 24,: 1926'. 1,732,824 White Oct. 22, 1929 1,962,556 Eberhardt, Jr June=12{l934- 2,014,745 Regli Septa17; 1935 2,0463133 Rathbun' -2 June 30f1936 2,122,628 Tracy -1 July 5; 1938 2,196,740 Ross- Apr; 20,1940 2,237,102 Hungerford 1 Apr. 1, 1941 2,344,937 Brazie1 l Man-'21, 1944. 2,373,852 Rappaport Apr. 17,1945

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date" 13,007 Great Britain June4; 1913 110.6645 Great Britain Now 1; 1917" 175,227 Germany Aug. 22;1906 443,389 Great Britain Feb. 27; 1936 544.154 Great Britain Man-30,1942 573,444 France"; Man-12, 1924" 

